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Contributor

Matthew Fritch spent more than a decade as senior editor of the Philadelphia-based magazine MAGNET, where he wrote about wildly unpopular indie rock bands and r...more »

03.15.10

The Constantines, Shine A Light

Label: Sub Pop Records

When the Canadians began streaming across the border in 2003 to liberate indie rock from America's decade-long stranglehold, it was just about the most bloodless coup you ever saw. Albums by Broken Social Scene, the New Pornographers, Metric and Stars were largely sophisticated, sweat-free pop efforts put forth by loosely assembled collectives and often polished to a high-gloss veneer. All the heavy lifting would have to be done by the Constantines,… read more »

Contributor

Matthew Fritch spent more than a decade as senior editor of the Philadelphia-based magazine MAGNET, where he wrote about wildly unpopular indie rock bands and r...more »

03.15.10

The Constantines, Shine A Light

Label: Sub Pop Records

When the Canadians began streaming across the border in 2003 to liberate indie rock from America's decade-long stranglehold, it was just about the most bloodless coup you ever saw. Albums by Broken Social Scene, the New Pornographers, Metric and Stars were largely sophisticated, sweat-free pop efforts put forth by loosely assembled collectives and often polished to a high-gloss veneer. All the heavy lifting would have to be done by the Constantines, a five-piece band from Guelph, Ontario, with a real reverence for rock 'n' roll's past and a working-class approach to its current construction. Sophomore album Shine A Light is heavily influenced by the '90s D.C. post-punk scene — particularly Fugazi — but the rhythmic tension and serrated guitar edges are nicely rounded out by keyboard and, on occasion, some low-bellowing horns. But the Constantines' best weapon is frontman Bry Webb's voice, which ranges from a Joe Strummer-borrowed bark to a God-given roar; when he sings, "I was a late-breaking back alley mistake/ Howling at the moon," it doesn't sound like art or fiction. It sounds like the real mess of youth and yearning, a rough theme that runs through Shine a Light from the anti-establishment punk thrash of opener "National Hum" to the teen-spirited "Young Lions." For all the complicated fury and skronk kicked up by the band and all the weather-beaten emotion conveyed by Webb, the Constantines are surprisingly optimistic, utterly unironic and un-punk. "On To You," the album's catchiest song, has Webb singing, "We may never be angels but we're lousy with the spirit." He's not talking about religion, but you might want to show a little faith — there's magic in the night.

Rock and Roll

You know those bands that were sandwiched in between The Jam and Belle and Sebastian when you had a college radio shift in the late nineties? The ones that you didn't quite understand yet, but you felt you might one day. Well, this is like that. If you don't identify with that precise set of experiences, then obviously this review is not aimed at you. I give it five stars or eight loaves and fishes or whatever.

Though this is their second album, so few people heard the Constantines’ self-titled debut that, in effect, Shine a Light is the introduction to the band’s sound for many. Fortunately, it’s a good one, delivering on the rough-hewn ambitions of the Constantines with a fiery intensity that few of their contemporaries can match. On harshly brooding songs like the title track and “Nighttime/Anytime (It’s Alright)” — on which singer Bryan Webb sounds like it’s anything but — and on quiet mood pieces like “Goodbye Baby & Amen,” the Constantines sound focused, meaningful, and, above all, smart. Indeed, this intensity and intelligence can be overwhelming at times; the sharply restrained focus of Shine a Light’s first few songs borders on the dour, and strangely enough, many of the album’s more accessible songs come toward its end. Still, there’s no denying the stark magnetism of “Insectivora” or the anthemic charge of “Young Lions,” which reaffirms that the Springsteen comparisons surrounding the band are well-founded. Despite its occasionally intimidating sound, the group is capable of crafting fairly poppy songs without sacrificing any of its smarts or edge, as displayed by the excellent “On to You” and “Poison,” which sound a little bit like a tougher, more soulful Spoon. Similarly, even the Constantines’ most aggressive songs have intricate touches, such as the keyboard flourishes on “Scoundrel Babes.” A tautly crafted, thoughtful album, Shine a Light more than follows through on the promise of their debut, and proves that the Constantines have the ability to be both down to earth and dramatic within their grasp. – Heather Phares